Protecting Western Australia from a Six Billion Dollar Threat
Dr Brian Walker discusses the urgent need to protect Western Australia's GST revenue share following concerning recommendations from the Productivity Commission.
Recently, the Productivity Commission released an interim report that struck a chord of genuine alarm across our state. As a medical doctor, I am trained to look for symptoms before they become critical. Right now, our state faces a diagnosis that could have devastating consequences for every Western Australian family and business. The risk here is not merely bureaucratic. It is an existential threat to our capacity to fund the schools, hospitals, and emergency services that keep our community alive.
The danger of ignoring evidence
The Productivity Commission has proposed changes that could effectively strip six billion dollars from the state budget every single year. Let that number sink in. When you look at the evidence, the logic provided in the report is internally inconsistent and, frankly, bizarre. They have hypothesised scenarios that do not exist, all while ignoring the successful outcomes of the 2018 GST reform. This isn't just a political debate: it is a threat to our financial health.
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A call for accountability
What we are seeking is fairness. The 2018 deal established a 75c floor that has allowed Western Australia to maintain stability without penalising other states. It is a system that works for the entire nation. Yet, the Commission seems intent on looking backwards, ignoring the productive engine room that this state has become. We are not asking for a special deal. We are asking for the preservation of the fair deal that was already struck. My colleagues and I in the Legislative Council are clear: we demand the Productivity Commission comes to Western Australia to look the people they are impacting in the eye.
The path forward
The ball is firmly in the Prime Minister's court. We need an ironclad guarantee that these arrangements will be preserved. We cannot afford half-measures or vague assurances while our future is being debated in Canberra or Melbourne. It is time for our federal representatives to stand up and ensure that Western Australia is not treated as an afterthought. We must continue to insist on the respect and financial security that this state has earned through its immense contribution to the national economy.
You can read the full Hansard record of this debate here. If you believe in a future for Western Australia that is based on fairness and evidence, I invite you to join Legalise Cannabis WA and help us make a difference.
